BY JEFF DAVIDSON

In print | Published August 25, 2011

The Class of 2015 was greeted with some changes to orientation this year, although the alterations were less drastic than initially thought.

Campus Advisors (CAs) are working closely with Student Academic Mentors (SAMs) and Resident Assistants (RAs) for a more fluid group experience. CA groups are now run by only one group leader, instead of two. The popular orientation play, Swattie Life Unscripted, is mostly student-run and has very little Dean’s Office involvement. And First Collection moved from Wednesday to Friday.

“The changes were made to be more efficient, and we’re using our resources better,” Orientation Committee co-chair John Oh ’13 said. “But that won’t change the overall feel of orientation.”

There will also be a cap on the number of students permitted into LPAC for the play, and priority will be given to first-years. Upperclassmen will only be allowed in if space is available.

Due to work on the sewage lines in the Crum, major events cannot happen there this year. Orientation leaders have been scrambling to fix the schedule, as the Trust Walk and Bonfire are not possible.

Otherwise, “the things that caused commotion didn’t come to fruition this year,” Oh said. These included entirely cutting the play and drastically scaling back the use of CA groups in favor of hall groups. Although there is more RA and SAM involvement to make up for the one-CA setup, the process remains very similar to past years when the CA leaders had most of the responsibilities.

According to Orientation Committee co-chair Renee Flores ’13, the committee is taking feedback to gauge the effects of these changes.

Flores thinks that moving First Collection was one of the best changes. “Having it that way, you’ve been here, you’ve had a chance to make some friends. You get a better sense of belonging … It’s a culmination of being welcomed. You’re brought into the community at that point, and it’s the best message to bring to first-years.”

So far she believes that orientation is turning out well and that it will be a very successful year.

“Even though there are a lot of questions, it’s working out really well,” Flores said. “In the past years we haven’t had RAs come to the first meeting with the groups. But I saw a big turnout of RAs and SAMs going to talk to the groups, and I think that’s really great.”

New student orientation began on Tuesday, although orientation for international students started Saturday. Upperclassmen can enter the dorms this Friday and meal plans begin at dinner on Sunday.

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